Adhesive transfer device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an adhesive transfer device for selectively making a repositionably adherable substrate from a selected substrate. The device comprises a base substrate, a layer of pressure-sensitive repositionable adhesive disposed on the base substrate, a layer of pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive disposed adjacent to the repositionable adhesive layer opposite the base substrate, and structure providing a release surface. The release surface is removably engaged with the permanent adhesive layer opposite the repositionable adhesive layer and the base substrate so as to cover the permanent adhesive layer. The nature of the release surface is such that the base substrate and the structure providing the release surface can be moved apart from one another so as to separate the release surface from the permanent adhesive layer and leave both of the adhesive layers on the base substrate with the permanent adhesive layer exposed, thereby enabling the selected substrate to be adhesively bonded to the exposed permanent adhesive layer. The adhesive layers are provided such that, after the selected substrate has been adhesively bonded to the permanent adhesive layer, the base substrate and the selected substrate can be moved apart from one another so as to separate the base substrate from the repositionable adhesive layer and leaving both the adhesive layers on the selected substrate with the repositionable adhesive layer exposed, thereby allowing the selected substrate to be repositionably adhered to a contact surface by engaging the exposed repositionable adhesive layer with the contact surface. A number of various devices embodying the principles of the present invention are disclosed in the present application, including a tablet having a plurality of adhesive transfer sheets, an adhesive transfer cartridge for use with an adhesive transfer apparatus, and a dispenser for dispensing a length of the base substrate.

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/673,579, filed Sep. 30, 2003, which is a divisional of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/051,150, filed Jan. 22, 2002 and nowpatented as U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,120, which is a divisional ofapplication Ser. No. 09/343,676, filed Jun. 20, 1999 and now patented asU.S. Pat. No. 6,403,185, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/095,210, filed Aug. 3, 1998, U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/091,295, filed Jun. 30, 1998, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/130,558, filed Apr. 22, 1999, each of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adhesive transfer device for makingrepositionably adherable substrates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Uses for labels, stickers, and other adherable substrates can be foundin almost every aspect of life—school projects, professionalpresentations, file labels, CDs and tapes, computer disks, containersfor food in the freezer, etc. Traditionally, such adherable substratesused permanent pressure-sensitive adhesives which made the labelsdifficult to remove without the assistance of a solvent. This situationcan oftentimes be problematic because the label can tear, leaving labelremnants behind on the surface to which it was adhered and rendering thelabel useless.

For example, consider a person putting together a professionalpresentation. Many such presentations involve positioning items such ascharts and photographs onto a large posterboard. One device which can beused to perform this task is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,727. Thedevice of the '727 patent is a roll of release-coated substrate coatedon one side with pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive. The user unrollsthe substrate, then takes an item, such as the photograph or chart, andpresses it against the unrolled substrate to transfer the adhesive tothe item. The item can now be adhesively bonded to the posterboard.

The problem with this type of device is that the adhered item cannot beeasily removed from the posterboard and repositioned without damagingthe board and the adhered item. Thus, hours of hard work could be wastedsimply by permanently adhering the wrong chart to the wrong board or inthe wrong place on the right board. It can be appreciated that similarproblems arise in the fields of arts and crafts, school projects, andother areas.

Another example of this type of problem is found in adherable windowsigns. Many stores and restaurants use signs advertising sales, newitems, holiday themes, etc. which are adherably bonded to the innersurface of a window with a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive. Whenthe proprietor desires to remove the sign, he or she must typically usea solvent and a scraper to remove the sign. Misuse of the scraper candamage the window and almost always destroys the sign itself.

Removable or repositionable adhesives can obviate the problemsassociated with the permanent nature of permanent adhesives.Conventionally, in order to create a substrate which adheres to acontact surface in a removable or repositionable manner, the substrateis coated with a primer and then the primed area is coated with acommercially available liquid repositionable adhesive or a relativelysolid “glue-stick” of such adhesive. This process can become somewhatmessy due to the potential for spilling either the liquid adhesive orthe primer. Also, the adhesives sometimes are available in a spray formwhich can be difficult to apply evenly over a substrate surface. Certainspots on the substrate can also be overlooked or missed during manualapplication of the primer and adhesive. Furthermore, it is undesirableto purchase a bottle of primer and a bottle of liquid repositionableadhesive or a glue-stick if these materials are only to be used for alimited number of applications.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,913 discloses a primeness adhesive constructioncomprising a backing, a layer of permanent adhesive, a layer ofremovable adhesive, and a release liner. The permanent adhesive layerbonds the removable layer to the backing, thereby allowing the backingto be removably adhered to a contact surface. The ratio of removableadhesive to permanent adhesive is greater than 1:1 and the density ofboth adhesive layers combined is in the range of 18-25 grams per squaremeter. The subject matter of the '913 patent, however, does not addressthe problems discussed above.

The '913 patent discloses the permanent layer as being bonded to thebacking and is mainly concerned with pre-made labels and stickers ofpredetermined size, such as mailing labels and file folder labels. Thesubject matter disclosed in the '913 patent, however, cannot be used tomake pre-existing non-adherable substrates, such as photographs, charts,and window signs, into repositionably adherable substrates.

Consequently, there exists a need for an adhesive transfer device whichcan be used to create repositionably adherable substrates of differenttypes and sizes for a wide variety of applications.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to meet theabove-described need. In order to achieve this objective, the presentinvention provides an adhesive transfer device for selectively making arepositionably adherable substrate from a selected substrate. The devicecomprises a base substrate and a layer of pressure-sensitiverepositionable adhesive disposed on a portion of the base substrate. Alayer of pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive is disposed adjacent tothe repositionable adhesive layer opposite the base substrate portion.

A release surface removably engages the permanent adhesive layeropposite the repositionable adhesive layer and the base substrateportion. The nature of the release surface is such that the basesubstrate and the structure providing the release surface can be movedapart from one another so as to separate the release surface from thepermanent adhesive layer and leave the adhesive layers on the basesubstrate with the permanent adhesive layer exposed, thereby enablingthe exposed permanent adhesive layer to be adhesively bonded to theselected substrate by engaging the selected substrate with permanentadhesive layer. The adhesive layers are provided such that the basesubstrate and the selected substrate can be moved apart from one anotherso as to separate the base substrate from the repositionable adhesivelayer and leave both the adhesive layers on the selected substrate withthe repositionable adhesive layer exposed, thereby allowing the selectedsubstrate to be (a) repositionably adhered to a contact surface byengaging the exposed repositionable adhesive layer with the contactsurface and applying pressure to the selected substrate and (b)thereafter be removed from the contact surface and repositionablyadhesively bonded to another contact surface.

It is preferred that the nature and the thickness of the permanentadhesive layer be sufficient to bond to textured surfaces such as cloth,carpeting, and the like. When relatively low amounts of adhesives areused the permanent layer is capable of adhering to smooth surfaces suchas glass and paper, but has difficulty in bonding to textured surfacessuch as cloth. The adhesive layers disclosed in the '913 patent aresufficient only for bonding with a clean, smooth backing, such as thepre-fabricated backing provided during assembly of the label. Incontrast, the preferred thickness and nature of the permanent layeraccording to the present invention allows the adhesive layers to bond toa wide variety of materials, including both clean, smooth surfaces anduneven, textured surfaces.

Preferably, the weight ratio of repositionable adhesive to permanentadhesive is greater than 1:1. This ratio is preferred to ensure that thepermanent adhesive does not mix with and overcome the repositionableadhesive to thereby cause the latter to lose its repositionablecharacteristics. However, this ratio is not critical to the presentinvention.

The preferred type of adhesive for the repositionable adhesive is amicrosphere adhesive. Microsphere adhesives exhibit superior bondingcharacteristics for a wide range of surfaces. In addition, microsphereadhesives provide excellent control over the bond strength andcharacteristics. The preferred type of adhesive for the permanentadhesive is an acrylic emulsion based adhesive.

The broad principles of the present invention may be practiced in avariety of ways. The present application discloses a variety ofexemplary devices which utilize the principles of the present invention,including adhesive transfer sheets, an adhesive transfer cartridge to beused in conjunction with an adhesive transfer apparatus, and a substratedispenser for dispensing a substrate coated with adhesive materials. Theprinciples of the present invention, however, are not limited to theseexemplary devices.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention can beappreciated from the following detailed description, the accompanyingdrawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an individual adhesive transfersheet designed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adhesive transfer tablet comprising aplurality of the individual adhesive transfer sheets shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 is a perspective view of the individual adhesive transfer sheetof FIG. 1 with an adhesive mask in the form of a transparent plasticsheet peeled back and the release liner thereof being removed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the individual adhesive transfer sheetof FIG. 1 with a master positioned thereon for an adhesive transferoperation and the transparent plastic sheet moved back into coveringrelation;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the individual adhesive transfer sheetof FIG. 1 with transparent plastic sheet peeled back out of coveringrelation and the master removed after the adhesive transfer operationhas been performed;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an adhesivetransfer sheet designed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of an adhesivetransfer sheet designed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an adhesive transfer cartridge embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the adhesive transfer cartridge of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged and exaggerated view of the area indicated at Aand outlined in phantom in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the components located at an end of asupply roll in the adhesive transfer cartridge of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is cross-sectional view illustrating how the supply roll ismounted within the cartridge body structure of the adhesive transfercartridge of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an adhesive transfer machine with whichthe adhesive transfer cartridge of FIG. 8 may be used;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the machine shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the ends of the release liner and theadhesive mask with a cartridge starter adhered therebetween;

FIG. 16 is a profile view of an adhesive transfer device in the form ofa substrate dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an adhesive transfer device in the form of aadhesive transfer tablet, generally indicated 10, embodying theprinciples of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view ofthe tablet 10. The tablet 10 includes a plurality of individual adhesivetransfer sheets, generally indicated at 12, bound together in aconventional fashion. Such binding may include a spiral binding,adhesive binding, or any other arrangement by which a plurality ofindividual sheets can be bound together.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of an individual adhesive transfersheet 12. The scaling of the cross-sectional view is exaggerated inorder to more clearly illustrate the principles of the presentinvention. The sheet 12 comprises a base substrate 14, which may bepaper, a plastic sheet, or any other suitable material. The basesubstrate 14 is coated with a layer of pressure-sensitive repositionableadhesive 16. The layer of repositionable adhesive 16 is an adhesivewhich does not set or take a permanent adhesive bond over time and maybe referred to as reversible because it can be removed from surfaces.One such repositionable adhesive is formed from pressure-sensitiveadhesive microspheres. However, any suitable repositionable adhesive maybe used to form the repositionable adhesive layer 16.

A layer of pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive 18 is bonded to therepositionable adhesive layer 16 so that the entire layer 16 is covered.The layer of permanent adhesive 18 is formed from a suitable adhesivewhich has relatively strong and durable bonding qualities suitable forextended periods of use. It is to be understood that such a suitableadhesive may include an acrylic emulsion adhesive, a rubber-basedadhesive, or any other suitable material exhibiting such durable bondingqualities. Also, it is to be understood that the bonding between thepermanent and repositionable adhesive layer 16, 18 does not have to bedirect as shown and instead an intervening layer may optionally beprovided.

A release liner 20 removably covers the layer of permanent adhesive 18.The release liner 20 may be a regular release liner or a differentialrelease liner. A regular release liner has both sides thereof treatedwith a low friction material, such as silicone or the like, so as tohave a low affinity for allowing adhesives to bond thereto; adifferential release liner has only one side thereof treated in such amanner. Typically, either type of release liner may be constructed frompaper or a synthetic material. Regardless of whether the release liner20 is of the differential or regular type at least, the release surface22 of the release liner 20 engaging the permanent adhesive layer 18 isprovided with a relatively poor affinity for bonding with adhesives. Thenature of the release surface is such that the base substrate 14 can bemoved away from the release surface 22 without stripping the adhesivelayers 16, 18 from the base substrate 14 so as to leave the adhesivelayers 16,18 on the base substrate 14 with the permanent layer 18exposed. In other words, the release surface 22 allows the release liner20 to be disposed in covering relation over the permanent adhesive layer18 to protect the adhesive layers 16, 18 from exposure, yet be easilyremoved from the adhesive transfer sheet 12 without removing theadhesive layers 16,18 from the base substrate 14. A transverselyextending score line 21 may be provided to facilitate removal of therelease liner 20.

Finally, an adhesive mask in the form of a transparent plastic sheet 24is disposed over the release liner 20. The transparent plastic sheet 24has relatively better adhesive bonding characteristics in comparison tothe release liner 20. In particular, the desirable adhesive bondingqualities of the transparent plastic sheet 24 are such that, when therelease liner 20 is moved out of covering relation with respect to thelayer of permanent adhesive 18 and separated from the adhesive transfersheet 12, the plastic sheet 24 can be moved into direct contact with thepermanent adhesive layer 18 so as to cover the entire layer 18. Thelayer of permanent adhesive 18 will bond to the sheet 24. Manualpressure may be applied to the sheet 24 in order to enhance suchbonding. The plastic sheet 24 may then be peeled back so as to removeboth layers of adhesive 16, 18 from the base substrate 14.

It is within the scope of the present invention to use any othermaterial (e.g. paper, fabric, etc.) to which the layer of permanentadhesive material 18 will adhere in place of the plastic sheet 24. Thetransparent plastic sheet 24 is preferable simply so that a user mayview the selected substrate or master 26 through the sheet during theadhesive transfer operation.

It is to be understood that the layers of adhesive 16,18 may be formedby any suitable process. In one such process, the layer ofpressure-sensitive permanent adhesive 18 is coated on the releasesurface 22 of the release liner 20 and the layer of repositionableadhesive 16 is coated on the base substrate 14. The base substrate 14and the release liner 20 are then put together so as to bring the layerof permanent adhesive 18 into contact with the layer of repositionableadhesive 16. In another such process, the layer of repositionableadhesive 16 is coated on the base substrate 14 and then the layer ofpermanent adhesive 18 is coated on the layer of repositionable adhesive16. The release liner 20 is then disposed on the layer of permanentadhesive material 18 so as to cover the entire layer 16. This secondmethod may be performed by a conventional curtain coating operation asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,913, the entirety of which inincorporated into the present application by reference.

An adhesive transfer sheet 12 designed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention may be used to perform an adhesive transferoperation on the selected substrate 26. In the figures, the substrate 26illustrated is simply a blank paper card. However, it is contemplatedthat a wide variety of selected substrates may be used with the adhesivetransfer sheets of the present invention. For example, it may bedesirable to perform an adhesive transfer operation on business cards,office supplies, holiday decorations, school projects, arts and craftsprojects, etc.

To perform an adhesive transfer operation utilizing the adhesivetransfer sheet 12 of the present invention, the transparent plasticsheet 24 is first peeled back away from the release liner 20, as shownin FIG. 3, and the release liner 20 is then moved out of coveringrelation with respect to the layer of permanent adhesive 18 so as toexpose the layer 18. The adhesive layers 16, 18 remain on the basesubstrate 14 as the release liner 20 is moved out of covering relationas a result of both the bond between the layers 16, 18 and the bondbetween the repositionable adhesive 16 and the base substrate 14 beingstronger than any bond which may have been present between the permanentadhesive layer 18 and the release surface 22.

The surface of the selected substrate 26 is then engaged with thepermanent adhesive layer 18 and the transparent plastic sheet 24 ismoved into covering relation over both the selected substrate 26 and thepermanent adhesive layer 18 (FIG. 4). Pressure is then applied to theportion of the sheet 24 covering the selected substrate to ensure thatthe permanent adhesive 18 is adequately bonded to the substrate 26.

The next step is to peel the transparent plastic sheet 24 back away fromthe selected substrate 26 and the permanent adhesive layer 18 (FIG. 5).As the transparent plastic sheet 24 is peeled back, the portions of thepermanent adhesive layer 18 not covered by the selected substrate master26 adhere to the plastic sheet 24 and are removed or “stripped” awayfrom the base substrate 14 along with the portions of the repositionableadhesive layer 16 not covered by the substrate 26. The transparentplastic sheet 24 is then discarded along with the stripped portion ofthe permanent and repositionable adhesive layers 16,18 adhered thereto.Finally, the selected substrate 26 is then removed from the basesubstrate 14. The bond between the adhesive layers 16,18 is such thatthe base substrate 14 can be moved relatively away from the selectedsubstrate 26 so as to leave both adhesive layers 16, 18 on the selectedsubstrate 26 with the repositionable adhesive layer 16 exposed. Theselected substrate 26 may then be repositionably adhered to desiredcontact surfaces by engaging the exposed repositionable adhesive 16 withthe contact surface and then be removed and repositioned so as to beremovably adhered to other desired contact surfaces a number of times.

The use of an adhesive mask (i.e., plastic sheet 24) is particularlyadvantageous in that it ‘strips’ away all of the adhesive material fromthe base substrate 14. The mask can then be crumpled up and discardedwithout unnecessarily getting adhesive material on the hands of theuser. This ‘stripping’ feature enhances the adhesive transfer processand makes it an easy, clean, and simplified operation.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of an adhesive transfer sheet 30embodying the principles of the present invention. The sheet 30 of thesecond embodiment is similar to the sheet 12 of the first embodiment inall respects except that no mask is provided. The sheet has a basesubstrate 34, a layer of pressure-sensitive repositionable adhesive 32disposed on the base substrate 34, a layer of pressure-sensitivepermanent adhesive 36 bonded to and covering the repositionable adhesivelayer 32, and a release liner 38 (with score line 39) covering thepermanent adhesive layer 36 opposite the repositionable adhesive layer32. To selectively make a repositionably adherable substrate from aselected substrate, the release liner 38 is moved away from the basesubstrate 34 so as to leave the adhesive layers 32, 36 on the basesubstrate 34 with the permanent adhesive layer 36 exposed. The exposedpermanent adhesive layer 36 is then adhesively bonded with the selectedsubstrate. The base substrate 34 is then moved away from the selectedsubstrate (or the selected substrate is moved away from the basesubstrate 34) so as to leave the permanent adhesive layer 36 adhesivelybonded to the selected substrate with the repositionable adhesive layer32 bonded to the permanent adhesive layer 36 and exposed. Finally, theselected substrate is repositionably adhered to a contact surface byengaging the exposed repositionable adhesive layer 32 therewith.

FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of an adhesive transfer sheet 50.The sheet 50 of FIG. 7 has a base substrate 52, a layer ofpressure-sensitive repositionable adhesive 54, coated on the basesubstrate 52, and a layer of pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive 56coated over and bonded to the layer of repositionable adhesive 52. Asingle release liner/adhesive mask substrate 58 is engaged with andpositioned in covering relation over the permanent adhesive layer 56.Substrate 58 has two opposing surfaces, a release surface 60 and astripping surface 62. Normally, before the sheet 50 has been used, therelease surface 60 is engaged with the permanent adhesive layer 56. Therelease surface 60 is treated with a low friction material, such assilicone or the like, to provide it with a low affinity for adhesivebonding in a manner similar to the release surface 22 discussed withrespect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. In contrast, the strippingsurface 62 has a relatively high affinity for adhesive bonding incomparison to release surface 60. Preferably, the substrate 58 is madefrom paper or a synthetic material to which the permanent adhesive layer56 will adhere and the stripping surface 62 is left uncoated so that thepermanent adhesive layer 56 bonds thereto.

To perform the adhesive transfer operation with sheet 50, the releaseliner/adhesive mask substrate 58 is pulled back so as to move therelease surface 60 out of engagement with the permanent adhesive layer56. Because the bond between the adhesive layers 54, 56 and the bondbetween the repositionable layer 54 and the base substrate 52 are bothstronger than any bond that may have existed between the permanentadhesive layer 56 and the release surface 60, both the layers 54, 56will remain on the base substrate 52. Then, the selected substrate canbe engaged with the permanent adhesive layer 56. The substrate 58 canthen be flipped over and placed over the selected substrate so that thestripping surface 62 thereof engages and covers the selected substrateand the portions of the permanent adhesive layer 56 exposed around theperiphery of the selected substrate. Pressure may then be applied tosubstrate 58 to ensure that the permanent adhesive layer 56 adhesivelybonds to the selected substrate and the stripping surface 62.

Next, the release liner/adhesive mask substrate 58 can be pulled backaway from the base substrate 52 so as to strip all the portions of theadhesive layers 54, 56 not covered by the selected substrate away fromthe base substrate 52. The release liner/adhesive mask substrate 58 canthen be discarded with the stripped away adhesive thereon. The selectedsubstrate can then be peeled back from the base substrate 52, with thepermanent adhesive layer 56 remaining bonded to the selected substrateand the repositionable adhesive layer 54 remaining bonded to thepermanent adhesive layer 56 so that the repositionable adhesive layer 54is exposed and ready to be repositionably adhered to a surface. Theadvantage of this embodiment of the invention is that the function of arelease liner and an adhesive mask are combined into a single substrate,thereby reducing the overall cost of the sheet 50.

These individual adhesive transfer sheets 12 designed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention offer a quick, easy, andinexpensive means for performing an adhesive transfer operation tocreate a repositionably adhesive substrate. These individual sheets canbe produced relatively inexpensively and sold either individually or invarying quantities (i.e., tablets of 10, 25, 50, etc.) to meet the needsof various users. Such tablets offer an inexpensive option to purchasingan adhesive transfer machine for those who only desire to perform alimited number of adhesive transfer operations. These tablets also offera cleaner and easier option to using liquid adhesive materials, adhesivetape, glue sticks, etc. in order to create homemade repositionablesubstrates.

FIG. 8 shows a removable adhesive transfer cartridge, generallyindicated at 110, constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention. The cartridge 110 may be used in conjunction with anyof the adhesive transfer and laminating machines disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,584,962 and 5,580,417, and U.S. patent application of Paque, Ser.No. 09/189,273, the entirety of each being incorporated into the presentapplication by reference.

The cartridge 110 comprises a cartridge body structure 112, an uppersupply roll 114, and a lower supply roll 116. The upper and lower supplyrolls 114, 116 are rotatably mounted to the cartridge body structure 112and extend transversely between the opposing side walls 118, 120. Aswill be noted from FIG. 8, the axes of the supply rolls 114, 116 arelocated slightly outside of the interior of the cartridge body structure12. However, the supply rolls 114, 116 may be located fully interiorly114, 116 of the body structure 112. An upper wall 122 and a lower wall124 extend transversely between the opposing sidewalls 118, 120. A rearwall 126 extends between the upper and lower walls 122, 124 andtransversely between the side walls 118, 120. The rear wall 126 has asubstrate feeding opening 128 formed therethrough, which will bediscussed below in further detail.

Two pairs of supply roll mounting structures 130 rotatably mount thesupply rolls 114, 116 to the cartridge body structure 112. Each of themounting structures 130 includes a generally circular protectivestructure 132 and a cartridge body attaching structure 134. Thegenerally circular protective structures 132 serve to cover the axiallyfacing sides of the supply rolls 114, 116 so as to protect them frombeing damaged and to keep debris from coming into contact with theadhesive material which is disposed on the supply rolls 114, 116.

As seen best in FIG. 11, a generally cylindrical roll attachingstructure 136 is provided with a radially extending outer plate member138. The roll attaching structure 136 is configured to be receivedwithin the interior of a supply roll 114, 116 and is preferably fixedtherein by means of an adhesive. The roll attaching structure 136 alsoincludes an axially extending sleeve member 140 and four radiallyextending portions 142 which provide support to the roll attachingstructure 136. The sleeve member 140 extends along the central axis ofthe roll attaching structure 136 and is configured to rotatably receivea generally cylindrical shaft member 144. A threaded fastener-receivingbore 146 is formed within the shaft member 144. A fastener 148 in theform of a screw is configured to be received within thefastener-receiving bore 146 in order rotatably mount the roll attachingstructure 136 (and hence the supply roll 114, 116) to the shaft member144. The screw 148 is tightened to tightly engage the axial surfaces ofprotective structure 132 and plate member 138 so that friction iscreated during unrolling of the feed rolls. This friction brakes orpre-tensions the rolls and prevents overrunning of the would substratesduring operation. The braking assembly of U.S. Provisional Appln. ofBorgeson, Ser. No. 60/101,366, the entirety of which is incorporatedinto the present application, may alternatively be used to brake ortension the feed rolls.

The cartridge body attaching structures 134 comprise a planar basemember 150 and a pair of generally parallel outwardly extendingattaching portions 152. The cartridge body structure 112 has four pairsof generally parallel inwardly extending attaching portions 154 locatedat the points where the supply rolls 114, 116 are to be mounted. Thewidth between the interior surfaces of the generally parallel inwardlyextending portions 154 is substantially the same as the width betweenthe exterior surfaces of the generally parallel outwardly extendingportions 152. These widths allow the generally parallel outwardlyextending attaching portions 152 to be slid in between the parallelinwardly extending portions 154 (as shown in FIG. 11) and fixedlyattached thereto by suitable means such as an adhesive or mechanicalfasteners to thereby fixedly mount the supply roll mounting structures130 to the cartridge body structure 112. Each attaching portion 152 hasa stepped shoulder portion 156 which engages the associated side wall118, 120 to thereby determine the depth to which the outwardly extendingattaching portions 152 can be slid into the inwardly extending attachingportions 154.

FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of a laminating and adhesivetransfer apparatus, generally indicated at 160, with which the removablecartridge 110 of the present invention may be used. It is to beunderstood that the removable cartridge 110 may be used with any type ofadhesive transfer device and its use is not limited to the examplesmentioned or discussed in the present application. The apparatus 160comprises a frame 162, a feed tray 164, and an exit tray 166. As bestseen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 13, the apparatus 160 alsocomprises a pair of nip rollers 168, 170 and a cartridge-receivingopening 172. An elongated cartridge guiding slot 174 extends inwardlyalong each sidewall 176 of the frame structure 162 from thecartridge-receiving opening 172.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 8, the cartridge body structure 112 hasan elongated outwardly extending guiding member 178 disposed on eachside wall 118, 120. The guiding members 178 are configured to beslidably received within the cartridge guiding slots 174 when theremovable cartridge 110 is manually engaged and inserted into thecartridge-receiving opening 172. It is to be understood that otherstructures may be used to guide the cartridge 110 within the opening172. In fact, it is contemplated that no such guiding member 178 isnecessary at all and is simply preferable.

FIG. 10 shows an enlarged view of the box indicated A in FIG. 8 andoutlined in phantom. The scaling of the elements shown in FIG. 10 isexaggerated in order to more clearly illustrate the present invention.The upper supply roll 114 has a supply of adhesive mask material woundabout a cylindrical core (not shown). The preferred adhesive maskmaterial is a transparent plastic sheet 180. However, any type ofmaterial to which for adhesive materials will bond, such as paper,fabric, or various synthetic materials, may be used in place of thetransparent plastic sheet 180. The lower supply roll 116 has a basesubstrate in the form of differential release liner 182 wound about acylindrical core (not shown). The release liner 182 is coated with alayer of repositionable adhesive material 184. The layer ofrepositionable adhesive material 184 may be of any suitable type whichdoes not permanently set when adhered to a contact surface. However, itis preferred to use a microsphere repositionable adhesive for layer 184.

A layer of permanent adhesive 186 covers the layer of repositionableadhesive 184. The permanent adhesive 184 is of the type that hasrelatively strong and durable bonding qualities suitable for extendedperiods of use. It is to be understood that such suitable materials mayinclude an acrylic emulsion adhesive, a rubber-based adhesive, or anyother suitable material exhibiting such qualities. Preferably, thepermanent adhesive 186 is of the pressure-sensitive acrylic emulsiontype and it will be noted that the operation discussed below isperformed without the use of heat transfer.

The release liner 182 is preferably of the differential type. Adifferential release liner 182 has both opposing surfaces treated so asto prevent adhesive materials from bonding thereto. The release liner182 is referred to as being differential because one side is treatedmore than the other such that the more treated side has relatively lessaffinity for adhesives than the less treated side. One way of treatingthe liner 182 is to coat the surfaces with silicone, although it iswithin the scope of the present invention to utilize other ways oftreating the release liner 182. In the present subject matter, the moretreated side 188 is the side which is not coated with the adhesivematerials 184, 186. Thus, when the release liner 182, coated with bothlayers of adhesive material 184, 186 on one side, is wound on thecylindrical core of the supply roll 116, the permanent adhesive material186 will not set and bond to the more treated side 188 of the radiallyinwardly adjacent portion of the release liner 182. The release liner182 can then be easily unwound from the core when it is desired toperform an adhesive transfer operation.

Stated differently, when the release liner 182 is wound about thecylindrical core of the supply roll 114, 116 the layer of permanentadhesive material will be facing radially inwardly and the treatedsurface 188 of the release liner 182 will be facing radially outwardly.The portions of the layer of permanent adhesive 186 which are in contactwith the treated surface 188 of the release liner 182 while wound on thecore will not bond to the release liner 182 due to the fact that thetreated surface 188 has a relatively poor affinity for adhesivematerials. The basic requirement for the more treated surface 188 isthat the bond between the more treated surface 188 and an adjacentpermanent adhesive layer 186 must be relatively less than the bondbetween the repositionable adhesive layer 184 and the coated side of therelease liner 182 so that the roll can unwind with the adhesivematerials 184, 186 on the appropriate side.

The side of the release liner 182 on which the adhesive materials 184,186 are coated is preferably treated similarly to surface 188, but to alesser extent due to the differential nature of the liner 182. Becausethe nature of the repositionable adhesive layer 184 allows it to beremoved and repositioned on another surface, the layer 184 will tend tostick to the permanent adhesive layer 186 rather than to the releaseliner 182 when the layer of permanent adhesive 186 is removed from therelease liner 182. Thus, it is not necessary to treat the coated side ofthe release liner 182; however, it is preferable to do so in order toensure that the layers of adhesive materials 184, 186 can be removedfrom the release liner 182 without generating any unwanted strain in theadhesive layers 184, 186. The basic requirement with respect to adhesiveaffinity for the coated side is that the bond between the layer ofrepositionable adhesive 184 and the layer of permanent adhesive 186 isstronger than the bond between the layer of repositionable adhesive 184and the liner 182.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 10, the materials from the supply rolls114, 116 are disposed adjacent and in contact with one another beforeinsertion into the nip rollers 168, 170 of the apparatus 160. Theremovable cartridge 110 is inserted into the cartridge-receiving openingof the apparatus 160 so that the feeding opening 128 faces outwardlywith respect to the frame 162. In order to facilitate initiallyinserting the release liner 182 and adhesive mask 180 into the niprollers 168, 170 a cartridge starter, such as the one disclosed in U.S.patent application of Ensign, Jr., Ser. No. 09/182,197, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated into the present application by reference, may beused. Also, FIG. 15 illustrates a cartridge starter 190 which may alsobe initially used. The cartridge starter 190 is simply a piece ofplastic, paper, or cardboard which is adhered to both the adhesive mask180 and the permanent adhesive layer 186 on the release liner 182 beforethe initial use of the removable cartridge 110. The use of the cartridgestarter 190 obviates the need for peeling the release liner 182 off ofthe lower supply rolls 116 in order to insert it between the nip rollers168, 170 and reduces exposure of the user's hands and fingers to thesticky adhesives 184, 186. Also, the use of either cartridge starterwill help ensure that the release liner 182 and adhesive mask 180 areproperly aligned before insertion into the nip roller 168, 170.

When the removable cartridge 110 is removably inserted into thecartridge-receiving opening 172 of the apparatus, an adhesive transferoperation may then be performed on the selected substrate (not shown).The substrate may be any type of substrate which an user desires torepositionably adhere to a contact surface. For example, it may bedesirable to perform an adhesive transfer operation on a business card,photograph, pieces in a school project, pieces of an arts and craftsproject, etc.

The adhesive transfer process utilizing the removable cartridge 110 ofthe present invention is basically the same as the processes describedin the above-incorporated '417 patent, the '962 patent, or the '629application. The selected substrate is inserted into the feeding opening128 of the cartridge 110 so as to pass between the upper and lowersupply rolls 114, 116. The layer of permanent adhesive 186 on therelease liner 182 is brought into contact with the surface of thesubstrate which is to carry the adhesives. The adhesive mask 180contacts the opposing surface of the selected substrate. Together therelease liner 182, the adhesive mask 180, and the selected substrate arefed into the nip rollers 168, 170 of the apparatus. The nip rollers 168,170 apply pressure to these materials so that portions of the layer ofpermanent adhesive 186 are adequately adhered to the substrate. Theselected substrate, along with the release liner 182 and adhesive mask180 on the opposing sides thereof, is then discharged out the dischargeside of the nip rollers 168, 170. A cutting device 192 located at thedischarge side of side of the nip rollers 168, 170 can then be used tosever the substrate, liner 182 and mask 180.

After the selected substrate, liner 182, and mask 180 have been severed,the adhesive mask 180 may be then peeled back to expose the substrateand the portions of the release liner 182 not covered by the substrate.Due to the mask's 180 affinity for adhesive bonding, the portions ofpermanent adhesive material 186 not covered by the selected substratewill stick to the mask 180 and be stripped away from the release liner182. The portions of the layer of repositionable 184 not covered by thesubstrate will also remain bonded to the permanent adhesive 186 and bestripped away from the release liner 182 along with the adhesive mask180. The mask 180 can then be discarded along with the stripped adhesivematerials 184, 186 adhered thereto. All that remains at this stage ofthe operation is the selected substrate and the release liner 182 alongwith the portions of adhesive material 184, 186 covered by the selectedsubstrate disposed therebetween. The user then removes the selectedsubstrate from the release liner 182. The portion of the layer ofpermanent adhesive 186 covered by the substrate, along with the portionof the layer of repositionable adhesive 184 covered by the substrate,will remain bonded to the surface of the selected substrate.

The finished product has a layer of permanent adhesive material bondeddirectly to its back and a layer of repositionable adhesive materialbonded to the layer of permanent adhesive material. This arrangement ofadhesive materials allows the substrate to be repositionably adhered toany desired contact surface and at a later time be removed from thecontact surface and repositionably adhered on a different contactsurface. Because the repositionable adhesive material is bonded to thesubstrate by virtue of a layer of a permanent adhesive material, therepositionable adhesive material will remain bonded to the selectedsubstrate during repositioning rather than being left behind on acontact surface.

As can be seen from the above description, the use of the removableadhesive transfer cartridge of the present invention in conjunction withan adhesive transfer apparatus is an easier and simpler operation thanmanually applying liquid adhesives to the back of a master using eithera brush or a spray bottle. Also, performing an adhesive transferoperation using the cartridge 110 of the present invention avoids thepotential spillages which oftentimes occur while using liquid adhesives.In fact, the use of the adhesive mask 180 allows the operator to simplycrumple it up and discard it after it has been removed from the releaseliner 182, thereby virtually eliminating manual contact with theadhesive materials 184, 186. Thus, the use of the cartridge of thepresent invention offers a cleaner and simpler method of makingrepositionable substrates in comparison to the ways heretofore known.

FIG. 16 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention. Theadhesive transfer device 200 of FIG. 16 has a construction similar to aconventional packing tape dispenser. The device 200 comprises a frame202 with a manually engageable handle portion 204. The frame 202 has apair of spaced apart side walls 205. A generally cylindrical core 206 isrotatably mounted between the side walls 205. The core 206 is fit in asleeve-like manner over radially extending mounting structures 210 andthe mounting structure is rotatably secured to the frame 202 by a pairof threaded hubs 212.

A base substrate 208 similar to the ones used in the above-describedembodiments is of the differential release-type has a release surface214 on one side thereof. As in the embodiments described above, basesubstrate 208 is coated with a layer of repositionable adhesive and alayer of permanent adhesive. The details of the adhesive layers andtheir arrangement have been previously described and this will not berepeated for brevity's sake. The substrate 208 is wound about the core206 such that the release surface 214 faces generally radially outwardlywith respect to the core 206 and the permanent adhesive layer facesradially inwardly with respect to said core 206 so that the permanentadhesive layer is removably engaged with the release surface 214.

The nature of the release surface 214 is such that the free end portion216 of the base substrate 208 can be unrolled from the base substrateand moved away from the release surface 214 of a radially inwardlyadjacent portion 218 of the base substrate 208 leaving the adhesivelayers on the free portion 216 with the permanent adhesive layerexposed. The user then adhesively bonds the permanent adhesive layercarried by the free end portion 216 by engaging the layer with theselected substrate and applying pressure to the substrate 208 sufficientto affect adhesive bonding. The pressure may be applied directly by theuser's hand or by engaging a flexible wiper portion 220 of the device200 with the base substrate 208.

The user then moves the frame 202 relative to the selected substrate soas to dispense a length of the base substrate 208 along a correspondingportion of the selected substrate. The portion of the permanent adhesivelayer along the unrolled length of the base substrate 208 engages thecorresponding portion of the selected substrate and is adhesively bondedto the corresponding selected substrate portion by applying pressure tothe base substrate 208 sufficient to affect adhesive bonding. Thepressure may be applied by hand or by the wiper 220 as the device 200 ismoved.

Then the unrolled length of base substrate 208 can be severed. Thesevering may be performed by a knife or scissors, a blade (not shown) asis conventionally provided on packing tape dispensers, or by manuallytearing the base substrate 208. The base substrate 208 can thereafter bemoved away from the selected substrate leaving the adhesive layers onthe selected substrate with the repositionable adhesive layer exposed.This type of device 200 is especially useful for creating largerepositionable window signs.

In all of the above-described embodiments, it is preferred that thenature and thickness of the permanent adhesive layer be such that thepermanent adhesive layer can be securely adhesively bonded to texturedsurfaces, such as cloth or carpeting. Preferably, the weight ratio ofrepositionable adhesive to permanent adhesive is at least 1:1. Whenusing adhesive layers which are bonded directly to one another with nointervening layer therebetween, remaining above this threshold ratioensures that the permanent and repositionable adhesives will not mixwith one another to a point where the permanent adhesive overcomes therepositionable adhesive and creates a mixed layer with permanent bondingcharacteristics. When using this direct bonding arrangement andremaining over the lower weight ratio threshold, it has been found thatthe permanent adhesive layer will bond to textured surfaces when thecombined adhesive layers have a density of greater than 20 grams persquare meter. The permanent adhesive layer's bonding capability willincrease as the combined density is increased. It has been found that adensity over 25 grams per square meter is preferable and approximately27 grams per square meter is optimal when using a microsphere adhesivefor the repositionable adhesive layers and an acrylic emulsion basedpermanent adhesive. A density of 27 grams per square meter is preferredbecause it has the optimal balance between secure bonding andcost-effectiveness.

It will be thus appreciated that the objectives of the present inventionhave been fully and effectively accomplished. The foregoing detailedembodiments have been provided to illustrate the functional andstructural principles of the present invention and are not intended tobe limiting. The contrary, the present invention is intended to coverall modifications, alterations, and substitutions within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. An adhesive transfer device for selectively making a repositionablyadherable substrate from a selected substrate, said device comprising: abase substrate; a layer of repositionable adhesive provided on said basesubstrate; a layer of permanent adhesive provided adjacent to saidrepositionable adhesive layer opposite the base substrate; and a releaseliner substrate having a release surface, said release liner substrate,said base substrate and said adhesive layers being arranged insubstantially flat parallel relation to define an adhesive transfersheet with said release surface being removably engaged with saidpermanent adhesive layer opposite said repositionable adhesive layer andsaid base substrate so as to cover said permanent adhesive layer; thenature of said release surface being such that said base substrate andsaid release liner substrate can be moved apart from one another so asto separate said release surface from said permanent adhesive layer andleave both of said adhesive layers on said base substrate with saidpermanent adhesive layer exposed, thereby enabling the selectedsubstrate to thereafter be adhesively bonded to said exposed permanentadhesive layer by engaging the selected substrate with said exposedpermanent adhesive layer; said adhesive layers being provided such that,after the selected substrate has been adhesively bonded to saidpermanent adhesive layer, said base substrate and the selected substratecan be moved apart from one another so as to separate said basesubstrate from said repositionable adhesive layer and leave both saidadhesive layers on the selected substrate with said repositionableadhesive layer exposed, thereby allowing the selected substrate to (a)be repositionably adhered to a contact surface by engaging said exposedrepositionable adhesive layer with the contact surface and (b)thereafter be removed from the contact surface and repositionablyadhesively bonded to another contact surface; said adhesive transferdevice further comprising an adhesive mask substrate positioned adjacentsaid release liner substrate opposite said adhesive layers, the natureof said adhesive mask substrate being such that, after the release linersubstrate has been moved apart from said base substrate so as toseparate said release surface from said permanent adhesive layer and theselected substrate has been adhesively bonded to said permanent adhesivelayer but before the selected substrate has been moved apart from saidbase substrate so as to separate said base substrate from saidrepositionable adhesive layer, said adhesive mask substrate can bepositioned in covering relation over the selected substrate with aportion of the adhesive substrate mask engaging the selected substrateand a portion of the adhesive substrate mask engaging peripheralportions of the permanent adhesive layer that are exposed around theperiphery of the selected substrate so that the peripheral portions ofsaid permanent adhesive layer are bonded to said adhesive substrate maskin such a manner that said adhesive substrate mask can thereafter bemoved away from said base substrate and the selected substrate so as toremove the peripheral portions of the permanent adhesive layer andcorresponding peripheral portions of said repositionable adhesive layerfrom said base substrate, thereby leaving the selected substrate on saidbase substrate with portions of the permanent and repositionableadhesive layers disposed therebetween and substantially no adhesivedisposed on said base substrate around the periphery of the selectedsubstrate.
 2. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of said adhesive transfer sheets bound together.3. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 2, wherein each ofsaid adhesive transfer sheets is generally rectangular.
 4. An adhesivetransfer device according to claim 1, wherein the nature and thicknessof said permanent adhesive layer is such that said permanent adhesivelayer can be securely adhesively bonded to a selected substrate having atextured surface.
 5. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 4,wherein said adhesive layers are bonded directly to one another with nointervening layers therebetween and wherein a weight ratio of the weightof said repositionable adhesive layer to the weight of said permanentadhesive layer is greater than 1:1.
 6. An adhesive transfer deviceaccording to claim 5, wherein said adhesive layers have a combineddensity greater than 20 grams per square meter.
 7. An adhesive transferdevice according to claim 6, wherein said repositionable adhesive is anacrylic microsphere adhesive.
 8. An adhesive transfer device accordingto claim 7, wherein the combined density is greater than 25 grams persquare meter.
 9. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 8,wherein the combined density is approximately 27 grams per square meter.10. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 1, wherein saidpermanent adhesive is an acrylic-based emulsion.
 11. An adhesivetransfer device according to claim 1, wherein said repositionableadhesive is an acrylic microsphere adhesive.
 12. An adhesive transferdevice for selectively making a repositionably adherable substrate froma selected substrate, said device comprising: a base substrate; a layerof repositionable adhesive provided on said base substrate; a layer ofpermanent adhesive provided adjacent to said repositionable adhesivelayer opposite the base substrate; and a release liner substrate havinga release surface, said release liner substrate, said base substrate andsaid adhesive layers being arranged in substantially flat parallelrelation to define an adhesive transfer sheet with said release surfacebeing removably engaged with said permanent adhesive layer opposite saidrepositionable adhesive layer and said base substrate so as to coversaid permanent adhesive layer; the nature of said release surface beingsuch that said base substrate and said release liner substrate can bemoved apart from one another so as to separate said release surface fromsaid permanent adhesive layer and leave both of said adhesive layers onsaid base substrate with said permanent adhesive layer exposed, therebyenabling the selected substrate to thereafter be adhesively bonded tosaid exposed permanent adhesive layer by engaging the selected substratewith said exposed permanent adhesive layer; said adhesive layers beingprovided such that, after the selected substrate has been adhesivelybonded to said permanent adhesive layer, said base substrate and theselected substrate can be moved apart from one another so as to separatesaid base substrate from said repositionable adhesive layer and leaveboth said adhesive layers on the selected substrate with saidrepositionable adhesive layer exposed, thereby allowing the selectedsubstrate to (a) be repositionably adhered to a contact surface byengaging said exposed repositionable adhesive layer with the contactsurface and (b) thereafter be removed from the contact surface andrepositionably adhesively bonded to another contact surface; saidrelease liner substrate having a stripping surface opposite said releasesurface with a higher affinity for adhesive bonding than said releasesurface, the nature of said stripping surface being such that, after therelease liner substrate has been moved apart from said base substrate soas to separate said release surface from said permanent adhesive layerand the selected substrate has been adhesively bonded to said permanentadhesive layer but before the selected substrate has been moved apartfrom said base substrate so as to separate said base substrate from saidrepositionable adhesive layer, said release liner substrate can bereoriented and positioned in covering relation over the selectedsubstrate with a portion of the stripping surface engaging the selectedsubstrate and a portion of the stripping surface engaging peripheralportions of the permanent adhesive layer that are exposed around theperiphery of the selected substrate so that the peripheral portions ofsaid permanent adhesive layer are bonded to said stripping surface insuch a manner that said release liner can thereafter be moved away fromsaid base substrate and the selected substrate so as to remove theperipheral portions of the permanent adhesive layer and correspondingperipheral portions of said repositionable adhesive layer from said basesubstrate, thereby leaving the selected substrate on said base substratewith portions of the permanent and repositionable adhesive layersdisposed therebetween and substantially no adhesive disposed on saidbase substrate around the periphery of the selected substrate.
 13. Anadhesive transfer device according to claim 12, further comprising aplurality of said adhesive transfer sheets bound together.
 14. Anadhesive transfer device according to claim 13, wherein each of saidadhesive transfer sheets is generally rectangular.
 15. An adhesivetransfer device according to claim 12, wherein the nature and thicknessof said permanent adhesive layer is such that said permanent adhesivelayer can be securely adhesively bonded to a selected substrate having atextured surface.
 16. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 15,wherein said adhesive layers are bonded directly to one another with nointervening layers therebetween and wherein a weight ratio of the weightof said repositionable adhesive layer to the weight of said permanentadhesive layer is greater than 1:1.
 17. An adhesive transfer deviceaccording to claim 16, wherein said adhesive layers have a combineddensity greater than 20 grams per square meter.
 18. An adhesive transferdevice according to claim 17, wherein said repositionable adhesive is anacrylic microsphere adhesive.
 19. An adhesive transfer device accordingto claim 18, wherein the combined density is greater than 25 grams persquare meter.
 20. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 19,wherein the combined density is approximately 27 grams per square meter.21. An adhesive transfer device according to claim 12, wherein saidpermanent adhesive is an acrylic-based emulsion.
 22. An adhesivetransfer device according to claim 12, wherein said repositionableadhesive is an acrylic microsphere adhesive.